Turkish Silver
Jewelry
Turkish silver distinguishes itself not
in design, but in the composition of the silver alloy
used. Most sterling silver is made of a
Silver/Cooper alloy (92.5%/7.5%). Turkish silver
makes use of a Silver/Cadmium alloy. Cadmium is
lighter than copper and is slightly more tarnish
resistant. This characteristic may be desirable if
one is going for a shiny appearance, but works against
styles that rely upon antiquing for contrast.
What is Cadmium? Cadmium is a soft,
bluish-white metal that is obtained as a by-product in
the production of copper, zinc and lead ores. It
has the property of being both light-weight and strong.
Unfortunately, it can be
toxic, and when heated can produce dangerous fumes.
Turkish silver has no real distinctive
style or form. Products developed tend to be
replications of other styles from around the world,
especially Bali.
We have seen it reported that Turkish
silver usually contains 95% silver. We have not
found much support for this claim. In fact, most sites
selling Turkish silver describe it as "925 sterling," if
a percentage is given at all.
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